Recipe: Curried mixed vegetables

One particularly delicious way to get a daily quota of veggies is in curries. For a thicker and richer brew, stir coconut milk or yogurt into the curry at the end of cooking. This addition would be a nice flavor-enhancer but diminishes the vibrant color I enjoy. If you enjoy your curries Indian hot, add chopped chili peppers, such as Serrano or Scotch Bonner, to the oil when toasting the cumin.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: Approx. 35 minutes
Cost: Approx. $8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 4-5 fresh curry leaves or 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons pureéd, grated or finely chopped ginger
• 1 tablespoon puréed or finely chopped garlic
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 small head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
• 1/2 pound okra, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds or ground cumin and curry leaves or powder and heat 1 minute, or until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium low, stir in ginger and garlic and sauté 4 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add potatoes to pan and continue cooking until potatoes are just tender when poked with a fork prong, 10-12 minutes.

3 Add cauliflower and stock, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add okra and continue cooking until all ingredients are tender, 5-6 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, sprinkle with cilantro, if using, and serve.

Delicious served with basmati rice.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on April 18, 2010.